The Last Cold Day in Hell
by Lordhadrian
Summary: Part 3 of a Barrisoka trilogy, following "A Dark Gift for Palpatine" and "The Greatest Journey" Also features Original characters Conradin Hadranus and the droid VGR-001 A little more mature, and deals with the corruption of Baron Papanoida, who is determined to hunt down Ahsoka and Barriss


The Last Cold Day in Hell

by Lordhadrian

Many Years had passed, since I first saw your face  
On that fateful day in the Arena.

Now, in these dark times, I wonder if I come to you at night, in dreams,  
or in the day, as memories.

Do I haunt your hours  
in the way you haunted mine?

And I wonder if you see me when you look at her.

If we have souls, they are made of the love we share.

Undimmed by time. Unbound by Death.

After all these years, I will see you again,  
and in that moment, I know I am home.

~From the Journal of Conradin Hadranus.

Ventress' ship touched down quietly in the spaceport of Pantoran City in the middle of the night.

Ventress sighed and relaxed for a moment in her pilot's seat. For now, they were safe. It would only be a matter of time though, before the chase began again.

Asajj hit the intercom. "We're here. Gather your stuff."

Ventress had softened a little but never slacked off with the safety of all aboard. It was only Senator Chuchi's personal assurance of sanctuary that convinced the three of them to come to Pantora, if for only a short while.

Ahsoka and Barriss lay together on the small but comfortable mattress. a nice short nap. Ahsoka peeked one eye open at Ventress' announcement.

She smiled. The mattress was soft, built for two. She smiled at Barriss who slept by her side. She caressed her wife's soft olive cheek. Listening to her shallow breaths.

"Wake up. Time to go. Riyo's waiting." Barriss opened her eyes and smiled back. They kissed softly, grateful for every day that passed since that moment when all the rules and society's demands melted away.

They would be hunted, and cursed. A marriage and a love that was never meant to happen. But it was real, and they fought for it every day, and celebrated it every night in a language only lovers could decipher.

The trio gathered their things and exited the ship for more comfortable lodgings.

Two people were there to meet them. Riyo Chuchi smiled and tilted her head in a cute way as she smiled, happy even to see the grumpy, tired Ventress.

The other was Conradin Hadranus. He was perhaps filled with apprehension but also anticipation, having followed the exploits of the trio.

He smiled as he locked eyes with Barriss. Ahsoka hugged him and Riyo, tired but happy. Ahsoka was aware of his past friendship with Barriss, and knew he could be trusted while they stayed on Pantora.

Barriss hugged him warmly. "It's good to see you again." She smiled.

"You too. We have everything prepared at the consulate." He blushed a little as a small group of Chuchi's bodyguards came to escort them all.

"There is food waiting, my friends, and baths to freshen up..." Chuchi led the way.

Ventress' only thoughts were the hot shower and soft bed that awaited. She had grown used to Barriss and Ahsoka together for the past week since the confrontation with Captain Oil Fin and the Clones on Byss.

It was a smack down that humiliated Tarkin and Palpatine in the eyes of the Republic and the Senate, and made the Jedi look equally embarrassed.

While Ventress was slow to warm up to them living together, there were no major problems. Ahsoka and Barriss might have the momentary couples quarrel, but Ventress' only concern was the lack of privacy and close living on her ship. When she saw the two lovers get that certain "expression", she made sure to be in the cockpit for a few hours to avoid any discomfort.

Conradin watched as Barriss and Ahsoka walked ahead, holding hands. It was a moment of envy for him, but he was truly happy for them both. He also realized things could have ended very differently, for everyone. Destiny had given them all a second chance.

As the night grew dark, the glow of Ordo Plutonia lit threw the windows of the sanctuary. Ahsoka and Barriss settled in their things, but were not too tired thanks to their nap on the ship.

They tiptoed down to the swimming pool, a luxury for guests of the assembly. Barriss gasped and marveled at the brightness of the blue water. Plutonia's glow reflected off of it, giving it the brightness of a flowing liquid diamond.

"Beautiful night..." Ahsoka quietly wrapped her arms around Barriss with tender care, purring in her ear. "...it looks so refreshing." she whispered.

Ahsoka's hands gently glided up and down Barriss' body, giving her tingling anticipations for how the night would progress.

Barriss blushed. Their private marriage, witnessed only by Ventress and the living will of the Force, was but a week old. The two unleashed the floodgates of repressed feelings and emotions in this quiet moment. Every day was a New Hope for their love to survive, and every night was a chance to express that love.

At first, they were clumsy virgins, scared and hesitant and unsure as they celebrated their intimacy. It was an awkward funny experience, but filled with adventure and thrills.

Each night after was a time of exploration, and boldness. They became more comfortable, realized all the secrets of life that they could not see when they were still Jedi, and built a new kind of trust in their intimacy.

Now, by the pool, they stood and were hypnotized by its alluring coolness, its sparkling purity.

Barriss still blushed in modesty, and could feel Ahsoka shedding all defenses behind her, until all the Togruta had left was her blue striped panties, a garment that lovingly clung to Ahsoka in all the right ways. Barriss stayed modest and did not sneak any peeks at her partner.

Ahsoka pulled back her black hood and let her small fangs drift across Offee's shoulder and neck, sending chills and small noises echoing through her as she too was slowly made defenseless by the slow hands that untied and unzipped the Mirialan from every which way possible.

Barriss' breathless whispers echoed in the dark.

Ahsoka pulled off Barriss' cap and they giggled as Ahsoka caressed her hair. Such gorgeous, wild hair that as always confined in its stoic prison.

Barriss stiffened a little as Ahsoka gently grasped her smooth breasts, still uptight, shiveringg a little, goosebumps coming alive all over her body. Barriss' breathing got faster.

Ahsoka kissed her neck a little more aggressively, then faced her. They locked eyes and they pressed together for a brief kiss that sent a fire through them both.

Barriss let her greedy hands grab all around Ahsoka's panties, grabbing at soft flesh that felt electrified by their foreplay. Barriss pulled them down from Ahsoka and both were engaged completely in each other, vulnerable yet safe.

Ahsoka grinned and plummeted backwards into the water, letting Barriss see her in all her glory. Arching her body in the water, Ahsoka swam in such a way to make Barriss feel the growing fire within her, to make her heart beat fast with anticipation.

It was the lust of youth, but it was also pure, and just innocent enough that they felt immortal.

Barriss tip toed to the edge and jumped in, plunging below. She surfaced with a gleeful squeal at how cool the water was, but then dove deeper in her quest. She swam to Ahsoka in the center of the pool and they embraced.

They became the perfect storm, sending waves to every edge of the pool with heat that was not nearly extinguished in the diamond waters.

Bobbing up and down, they became reckless, whimpering each others names and splashing a little more enthusiastically.

They wrestled up on the edge of the pool, laying together on smooth marble.

Barriss lay on the marble first, and gasped for breath, leaving her body vulnerable, a buffet of delights for Ahsoka. Ahsoka crawled like a beast to her, with a gentle technique.

It was not just about sex. It was about trust and the love that motivated Ahsoka's exploring kisses. They now practiced the rituals of nature, possessed by animal spirits.

The night ended for them after a time, deep in the shadows away from the bright water, with two frantic forms engaged in every imagined kind of body geometry that built their fire like a volcano ready to erupt.

The final animal moon of desire flashed through them both with exhilarating tidal waves that could not be described, only felt.

With loud gasps and clutching hands that almost left love bruises, the two finally collapsed as their thunderstorm waned, though they both caressed each other in a softer conclusion, until they could no longer find the strength to move.

In that moment, the galaxy felt perfect.

It was also night time on Coruscant, where secret meetings of a different nature took place.

Plo Koon walked towards the elevator to meet Commander Tarkin and the good Baron Papanoida. It was no coincidence that he also ran into Commander Wolffe

"Master Jedi" Wolffe bowed slightly. Plo Koon bowed respectively but remained rather quiet. Today was not a day for pleasantries. Today, Plo Koon may be sent on the most horrible mission his heavy heart could ever imagine.

They rode the elevator to Papanoida's office. Outside the door they could hear a scolding voice. It sounded like Palpatine, but they weren't sure. After a moment, they were allowed to enter.

Tarkin was exiting past them, and he was not happy. The scowl on his face was mostly from a private conference with Papanoida at the communication table. Plo Koon surmised they must have finished talking to the Chancellor, probably dealing with the nature of Plo Koon's mission.

Tarkin shared some of his scowl with Plo, and muttered something rather uncomplimentary towards Jedi in general.

Papanoida went to sit at his desk in his office. He glided a hand across his smooth new desk, carved from the highly demanded wood of rare trees from Naboo.

He was very proud of his new office, and being promoted to Palpatine's true inner circle as head of the new Intelligence Firm. His position was necessary. Current events with rogue Jedi demanded that new measures be taken to counter these new threats.

"Commander Wolffe, Master Plo Koon" he greeted courteously but without distracting small talk. He meant to get down to business.

"Sir" Wolffe replied. Plo bowed but felt uneasy.

"My agents have been hunting the rogues, Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee, who have been assisted by the war criminal Asajj Ventress. You are both aware of the nature of their crimes and the resistance they have displayed to the law and order of the Republic and their own Jedi."

Papanoida gave Plo Koon a weary look, hinting on disappointment. Plo ignored it. He had been subjected to such looks in the past week. He had gotten used to this current attitude. The very demeanor of the Palpatine regime had changed and Jedi were not treated as the heroes they once were under a more benevolent time.

Plo Koon had felt more and more as if the Jedi were puppets in this new heaviness that hung in the Republic, and that somewhere some malevolent force was having a jest at his expense.

"We believe we have found these malcontents on Pantora. It is also with sadness that Senator Riyo Chuchi is helping them. Go, take your troops and capture them before they provide even more embarrassment to the Republic."

All of them recall that Ahsoka and Barriss were attacked on Byss by the crazed clone Captain Oil Fin, though only Tarkin and Papanoida are aware of implementing the dark conspiracy shared with Fin, Order 66. Wolffe suspected but said nothing. It was best to not give away any protocols with a Jedi in the room.

Barriss, Asajj and Ahsoka defeated Clones conspirators on Byss, killing Fin and creating a debacle that spread through the Republic. There were greater scandals to be sure, but the chase for the traitor Barriss and rogue Jedi Ahsoka Tano and Separatist war criminal Ventress had escalated.

Palpatine's reputation was now on the line and the Senate was watching carefully to see if the war had started to break his resolve.

Palpatine was as strong and resolute as ever, but rumors and perceptions now risked destroying his reputation, and Ahsoka's defiance to everything jeopardized his ability to rule. And it jeopardized Papanoida's precarious position on Coruscant, and perhaps even on Pantora.

"Take your troops, and stop them! Master Plo Koon, I want them brought back to face trial."

He waved them off to be dismissed.

The Baron watched the entrance as they left and stood in contemplation, until another voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, you have a Jedi and an army chasing Ms Tano and her friends? What do you need me to do?"

Cad Bane, having listened in the shadows, walked casually up to the Baron and put his hands on his hips with curiosity.

"You are the onion rings at the bottom of the bag." Papanoida smirked. He turned to Bane. "You are the last layer to this scheme and, most importantly, you will help make a political statement for the Republic."

Cad almost snorted at the idealistic drivel he heard, but listened further. The Baron was no idealist, and his patriotic words carried a deeper, more sinister motive.

Papanoida pulled out a device from his desk. It looked like a syringe. "I suggest you treat this with great care."

Cad had a slightly alarmed look "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's called poetic justice." Papanoida looked at him bluntly.

"The syringe will inject enough nanobots to do the job. Ahsoka is wanted for trial, but the others are already guilty. When you inject it into Barriss, you will have 3 minutes to get clear of the area. This is a gift, for Tarkin, and I want to think of it as payback for Captain Oil Fin. Plus, Barriss and Ahsoka are presenting a problem to the Chancellor's image. There is a lot of sympathy for them in the Senate and on various worlds across the Republic."

"Your politics do not interest me." Cad responded with a bored tone.

The Baron furled his brow. "Everyone loves an underdog, and Barriss and Ahsoka are striking a symbolic blow against the status quo, against carefully prepared propaganda."

While Cad was not entirely interested in listening to the rant, the Baron was releasing a frustration and the pay was good enough Bane simply waited for Papanoida to finish.

"Freezing Tarkin in Carbonite made us look like fools in the media, and defeating Clones on Byss, a PR nightmare. Some people are calling them heroes who are protesting the war, and the Chancellor's powers."

Papanoida carefully put the syringe in Cad Bane's hand. "Barriss is becoming a people's champion, and even the media is forgetting her crimes at the Jedi temple. The fickle news media!. Killing her with the nanobots will remind the common folk why they NEED US! To protect them from the enemy, terrorists, and rogue Jedi. Ahsoka will be executed in an official way and Palpatine's reputation as a leader for 'true Democracy' will be celebrated once again."

There was a moment of silence.

"The only democracy I celebrate is in your pocketbook. Are we finished?" Cad Bane accepted the syringe, but looked the Baron over in a new light. There was certainly a side to him nobody in the social community had ever seen, and Papanoida made sure they never would know that such a darkness in his heart existed.

"Best of luck, Mr Bane."

Cad disappeared into the shadows as swiftly as he entered. A job was a job.

Meanwhile, on Pantora, Ahsoka and Barriss walked the sights of the sunny capital, guided by the energetic Senator Chuchi. All worries and concerns were forgotten for a day, though they stayed covered in their cloaks.

They continued to hold hands discreetly during the tour of the city, but noticed the occasional wanted poster that showed on big screens at various establishments. The Republic continued to hunt for them, though for now most people ignored it as more dull war propaganda.

"This is a wonderful place, Riyo!" Ahsoka marveled at the city buildings and grand statues, several were of Chairman Papanoida.

"The Baron has turned Pantora into such a paradise despite the war and the Separatist attempts to conquer it." Barriss observed.

Chuchi smiled quietly, but held back a response.

Barriss stopped by a fountain that sprayed beautiful water patterns 20 feet in the air.

"It's marvelous!" She tossed a small coin in the fountain.

"Are you making a wish?" Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Barriss' waist "I didn't think you believed in that kind of thing."

Barriss almost giggled and held Ahsoka's hands. As young lovers, they were still enjoying their new emotions, still feeling wild and free and could barely contain their excitement.

She leaned back and kissed Ahsoka, both of them gasping a little and relishing the public display for a second.

A few people walking by could not help but notice the kissing, and that they were both women. Most walked on to avoid staring, but a few looked at them with a bit of shock.

Pantora under the Baron's administration did not take kindly to activities that were considered...deviant.

Riyu blushed a little "There is a nice cafe over in the square. I was hoping we could share in a vintage coffee."

Ahsoka and Barriss broke away from the kissing that was becoming a little heavier. They smiled, but still felt greedy for life.

"I think coffee is a wonderful idea!" Barriss blushed as she stared at Ahsoka.

Riyu walked between them "I...don't wish to intrude upon your happiness. I know how you both feel and I know you are so deeply in love, but...I must warn you Pantora lives by a strict set of rules. Rules that have been in place for centuries, and the Baron is no different in that regard than when Chi Cho watched over us with an iron fist."

"Are you saying Papanoida rules with an iron fist?" Barriss asked.

"Well...he wears a velvet glove when he does it. The Baron has been indulging more and more in his own self glorification, and his friendship with Jabba the Hutt has made him untouchable in Galactic events."

Chuchi kept a poker face and spoke quietly of things that might be considered unflattering.

Ahsoka remembered how she and Riyu helped the Baron rescue his kidnapped daughters, how the Baron easily moved about in Jabba's palace. Ahsoka realized how politics made for strange bedfellows indeed.

"Well, nobody knows we are here for now, so we will try not to draw attention." Ahsoka smiled politely, but she and Chuchi glanced at each other, a look in Chuchi's eyes that said "Please be careful, the people here do not approve of your love."

Conradin worked in the grand library of the consulate next to the Pantoran Assembly building. He was reading a book by a thin, decorative book stand. He looked up, sensing another presence in the vast library.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Ion." Conradin turned to greet Papanoida's son.

Ion didn't smile, but bowed with a brief courtesy. "The Baron wishes to remind you that you are on Pantora by his grace and mercy. Sanctuary has been given, that you would not face Palpatine's wrath in the war crimes tribunal. Your fellow Separatists are being processed for trial now that the war is leaning against Dooku and the Confederacy council. My Father has made it clear you would one day be called to repay this debt."

Conradin frowned a little, but remained polite. Everything has been very business like between him and the Baron, despite Conradin's attempts at being amicable at every turn.

"So, I am to repay my debt. Of what service can I be to the Baron?" Conradin sensed ulterior motives, though Ion was never subtle like his father. Anyone could read Ion like a book. Still, the coldness in his face was equal inside him. The Chairman has been growing in power, which can almost be seen from orbit as Ion commissioned larger and larger statues of his father to dot the landscape and remind the citizens of the growing cult of personality.

"Our agents know that Riyu Chuchi is aiding wanted fugitives, dangerous rogue Jedi. You would do well to take caution around her."

Conradin kept his face still, the same he would in a tense game of Sabaac. Don't give away anything.

"So, you want me to...spy on her? Is that it? You want me to spy on one of your own?"

Ion continued. "What we need from you is simple observations, not the same as spying. My Father thought he could rely on Chuchi, but she has been spotted with the suspects, and we believe there may be a network of sympathizers."

Conradin smiled like an idiot and leaned on the book stand "Oooh, I love intrigue! All this spying around stuff makes me giddy! So, how do you and Father intend to catch the traitor Chuchi? She's probably a fugitive now, I suppose! What about the rogue Jedi Ahsoka and Barris? Maybe they've all escaped from Pantora and are right now running to some outer rim territory where you will never find them. Maybe they've slipped away out from under your nose!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ion stepped back from Conradin's sudden act of foppishness "She is with the terrorists in the square right now, undeservedly enjoying the purity of Pantoran culture! But it won't be long now. Father is sending Master Plo Koon and the Wolf Pack to take care of business!"

"Then what do you need me for?" Conradin asked.

"They are still Jedi and must be put into a more compromising situation. We need you to get their light sabers and make sure they do not suspect a trap when our Clone troops move in. Go to the cafe and get them to come back here, where they will be isolated. We spring the trap tonight!"

Conrad smiled "What makes you think they will listen to me?"

Ion's face hardened even more "Wolffe's troops will be bringing a shuttle to take Ahsoka Tano away. If you fail in this one small favor, that shuttle will be taking you back to Coruscant to face trial instead."

Ion's words suddenly made the former Separatist take notice. "Just Ahsoka?"

"Your participation will be rewarded with a comfortable time spent here away from the politics of Coruscant, and from the shame of being executed in front of representatives of your home planet Achilleas!"

"Well, I'm your huckleberry." Conradin grinned. He acted more like a court goof than the battle hardened Separatist who had thwarted the Republic on more than a few occasions.

Ion does reveal any more info as he backs away. "Maybe you can lure them with a good book. We don't want bloodshed and violence in the streets."

Ion left, Conradin went behind a large shelf unit and pulled out his com link, which he activated during the conversation. Chuchi was on the other line, having listened with a grave expression.

"It would seem...I have outlived my usefulness to Chairman Papanoida." Chuchi sighed. Ahsoka appeared next to her.

"We need to leave, fast. Those Clone Troops will be here very soon!"

"They might be able to follow us, though, if we try to escape. The Baron's agents are watching us at every turn. We'll never make it off the planet without them stopping us!" Barriss commented.

Conradin leaned in to his communicator "Leave that to me. I have a few cards left to play in this game, I'm going to call in a favor. It will be a long shot, but it might work. Just don't come here, they will be expecting you."

Riyo frowned "I'll contact Ventress and have the ship readied...but we may not have a choice but go to the Embassy. It will be the last sanctuary we will have, and it is a well defended building to hold them off."

"If my idea works, you won't HAVE to defend the building..."

Conradin marched off to make another call, to an old droid friend he has not seen since the battle of Drongar.

"R5? R5-D4, Are you there?" Conradin used his com link to contact his old droid companion, a beat up R5 unit that slipped through the cracks at the battle of Drongar and was on board the RSS Moenia, a Republic Venator class cruiser that held the line at Drongar.

R5 was doing a typical ship to ship diagnostics check on the clone fighters in the hangar bay when Conradin's signal.

"R5, I need your help and I need it fast!"

R5 beeped with enthusiasm to help his friend

"Remember the battle of Drongar? They stacked up all the droids on board the Moenia to be scrapped. Are they still there?"

R5 Twisted its head around and looked at various personnel wandering the hangar. Nobody paid attention to one astromech. R5 beeped positively, inquiring what Conradin needed.

"I need you to reboot the droids! Plug into the ships mainframe, connect to the storage units and try to reboot them. I know it may take a moment, they're older models, but this is a matter of life and death!"

R5 made louder whistling, beeping noises, and went to a terminal to connect into the system.

"Reboot the droids, Tell VGR-001 to take the ship! If he can get control, I need you to have the cruiser set coordinates to jump to Pantora. I need all the help I can get, R5!"

R5 whined quietly. Conradin sighed and fell silent for a second. "Yeah, little buddy. I have a bad feeling too. Like this is going to be one last ride for a lot of us...look, R5, if this plan doesn't work, then get out of there. Don't let them scrap you too. Take care."

Conradin ended communication. He needed to balance the odds. Between him, Ahsoka, Barriss Asajj and Riyo, they were powerful and quick on their feet. But there was no besting Wolffe and his troops in the long run. They were outnumbered.

Chuchi, Ahsoka and Barriss quietly finished their coffee. Ahsoka contacted Asajj, explaining that the situation was no longer safe on Pantora.

"I hate to ruin the rest period, but we are targets, Ventress. We'll have to get ready to leave soon!"

Ventress sighed. She hated the thought of spending her life looking over her shoulder. At first, joining with Ahsoka was a matter of survival, and for a moment felt like a beneficial partnership. Now, however, she just sighed quietly and nodded at Ahsoka.

Ventress made haste to her ship, all the while her frustration was building, until she sat down in the cockpit.

And then she had a thought. She frowned and stared at the controls for a second. It would be so easy to just slip away. She was so tired of running and fighting. But she also remembered what it was like to be abandoned. She sighed and closed her eyes, scared.

"Hurry Ahsoka!" Asajj started warming up the ship and waited. She would wait for the others. A lifetime of running and fighting. She committed herself to it, come what may.

Chuchi led the others towards the Assembly building when they noticed the Republic Cruisers exiting hyperspace in the lower atmosphere.

"It's...Master Plo Koon's attack force!" Ahsoka's jaw dropped in horror, as if Baron Papanoida wanted her to know that when it rained on Pantora, it would pour.

"Commander Wolffe..." Barriss closed her eyes and knew the stakes had just been brought to a whole new level. With The Chancellor, Tarkin, Wolffe and the Jedi, it would be winner take all this time.

Conradin was running towards them.

"Come on, we need to get to the spaceport!"

"Too Late!" Ahsoka frowned and pointed up at the fleet. Several dozen fighters and LAAT gunships launched from the cruisers to swarm the city.

"We have to get Ventress to come to us!" Chuchi gritted her teeth as they ran to the sanctuary "Once the troopers cover the spaceport, there will be no escape!"

Conrad started to panic "If Ventress gives away her position by coming to us, they'll blast her out of the sky! Right now they do not know which ship is hers!"

"Conradin, she'll be blasted out of the sky if we leave through the spaceport for sure! At least this way we have a fighting chance by delaying them in the sanctuary!" Ahsoka argued.

"What about your plan?" Barriss asked him quickly.

Conradin looked up in the sky. A fourth Venator class cruiser exited hyperspace next to the attack group. Conradin smiled as his com link signaled from above.

"Emerald General, it is Commander VGR-001, reporting for duty! What are your orders?"

"Old friend, it's good to hear from you!" Conradin grinned "I need you to do a delaying action, can you keep those Clones busy?"

"We will give them a merry little chase, sir!" VGR saluted from the deck of the Clone cruiser. The Clones and deck crew were all sitting off to one corner, having been subdued and were surrounded by VGR's troops.

"All guns, open fire! Launch fighters! And I want the LAAT teams ready for ground assault!"

The ship's cannons opened fire with all guns and droid pilots in clone fighters launched from the hangar to draw enemy fire.

"Conrad!" Riyo looked at him in a moment of surprise. "How did you get a clone cruiser full of droids?"

"Hey, it's me!" Conradin grinned, not giving away the fact that he was equally surprised his plan worked.

They ran for the sanctuary, Ahsoka called out on her com link to Ventress "Meet us behind the consulate, Asajj! We've been given some breathing room!"

"I'm on it!" Ventress replied swiftly. She fired the engines into full drive and launched the ship up into the sky, making a straight line for the Assembly. Some Clone fighters chased behind her, firing at her engines, but they were blasted by droids very quickly.

On board Plo Koon's command ship, there was more activity than the stoic Jedi had anticipated.

"Commander Wolffe, it seems our operation to capture Ahsoka has been compromised!"

"I don't know how the clankers got a hold of the Moenia, but we'll make them pay!" Wolffe looked down at his tactical table with determination.

"Sir, we've spotted the Jedi and they are making their way to the Embassy! Senator Chuchi and Hadranus are with them!" An officer reports.

Wolffe made his way to the elevator. "Master Jedi, it's time we put these shinanigans to an end!"

Plo Koon followed with a somber expression "I'm afraid you are right."

They made their way to a small group of LAATs waiting for them. "To the Embassy! Quickly!" Wolffe barked.

Conradin and Chuchi entered the Embassy as it was being evacuated. People were scampering as the Clone troops landed and the droids were shooting up the clone ships. Chaos erupted everywhere.

"We can go through the main hall! The exit in the back will lead to a private landing pad for Ventress." Riyo turned to keep running,

Everyone stopped suddenly. Ion had blocked the path with a company of his personal troops.

"Well, Conradin, I guess your stay on Pantora will be short indeed!" Ion sneered.

"Not short enough, if you ask me!" He shrugged. Conradin pulled out his light saber. Ahsoka and Barriss activated their light sabers. Riyo pulled out her pistols

Ion and his men raised their guns. For a moment, all that could be heard was the combat in the sky above, fighters screaming overhead, blasting at each other.

"What's it going to be, Ion?" Ahsoka furled her brow and stepped in front of her friends. "We can do this the easy way...or the hard way..."

Ion's sneer grew with a defiant twist as she stared him down.

"I will make you fall in agony to your knees and wish the ground would swallow you up whole while you begged to be sent to your frozen Pantoran Hell in a box!"

Ion, unimpressed, snorted "So, what's the easy way?"

Ahsoka gave him a shit-eating grin "That IS the easy way!"

Ion lost all patience with her grin

"Kill them all!" His men open fired, but the Jedi training kicked in for Barriss, Ahsoka and Conradin, while Riyo dodged blaster fire to leap behind one of the Ithorian style columns that decorated the vast hall.

Laser blasts erupted around the small group, but they had skills at deflecting the fire from Pantoran guards who likely were not as battle hardened as Conradin, Ahsoka and Barriss.

As the battle raged on, another gun was being aimed at the Jedi. Cad Bane was hiding in the shadowy rafters near the ceiling. He aimed his sniper rifle, modified to fire the syringe. His scope focused in on Barriss as she fought off two Pantoran guards.

"A feisty one!" Cad followed her carefully as she manuevered quickly.

His scope started to shine in the flashing lights that brightened up the hall.

Riyo Chuchi blasted away at the guards, but the reflection off of Bane's scope caught her eye. After a split second of squinting, she saw him. Riyo followed the barrel of his gun and saw that he aimed for Ahsoka's friend.

"SNIPER!" Riyo screamed and ran from her cover. It felt like a horrible punch in her stomach as she entered combat with no thought of defending herself from Ion's men.

All she could do was aim her pistols high and hope she could distract the Bounty Hunter.

She fired wildly up at Cad as she ran. Ahsoka and Conradin looked up as well, but could not do too much while facing soldiers on the ground. Instead, they helped defend Riyo as she ran for Barriss, who was oblivious, caught up in the moment of fighting two soldiers.

"Riyo! I've got you covered!" Ahsoka stayed close.

Cad Bane had steady nerves as Chuchi's blasts scorched around him. He just needed to make the shot and run. He finally zeroed in on Offee, who stood her ground with Ion.

Cad drew his final "sniper's breath", as he squeezed the trigger and launched the syringe.

Riyo felt the punch in her stomach grow horribly as she saw the projectile. There was no time for anything else. So she tackled Barriss and covered her body from harm. Riyo braced herself for the pain of being shot.

"RIYO!" Ahsoka looked on in horror. Riyo and Barriss heard a thud and a grunt as the syringe with the deadly nanobots made a hit. But not on Riyo.

Conradin, in a strange moment that happened too fast, was close enough to Riyo. He had intended to deflect the shot with his saber, but miscalculated. The syringe caught him in the wrist.

Ahsoka, in shock, waved her hand at the remaining Pantorans and Ion, knocking them back, clearing a wide area for Barriss and Riyo as they recovered from the tackle.

Conradin looked at the syringe, not knowing what it was, but he already started to feel uncomfortable.

Cad Bane muttered a curse under his breath as he ran to a window and jumped clear. He missed the target, but maybe all was not lost. Conradin was the perfect weapon to finish the mission. It was a matter of getting to his ship in the next two minutes and getting away from the building.

Ventress called in from her ship "I'm at the landing pad! You guys better move fast! The Clones are at the front gate!"

Everything was quiet as everyone seemed to stare at Conradin. Barriss in particular saw what had happened, the wound Conradin snatched from Riyo. Barriss let out a small cry of despair.

"No! Conradin! You've been injected with nanobots!" Her heart stopped in terror, the horrible memory of her attack on the temple. Guilt flooded every inch of her, knowing again that her good intentions would lead down a horrible paved road to a personal hell.

Conradin looked at them in shock.

"Nanobots!" Ahsoka shouted. She was about to yell for everyone to evacuate the building, but she looked at Conradin.

He sighed to himself. "Well, this is a fine way to end the day." He tried make light of it, but started feeling uneasy. The fatal process was about to begin.

"Brace yourself, this is going to sting!" Barriss ran to him, with her saber poised, though it was a moment of desperation.

"It's time for you to go." Conradin was ready to accept his doom, but Barriss had one chance to stop the nanobots from spreading.

She severed his infected arm halfway between the elbow and the wrist.

Conradin's shocked yell was more out of surprise than pain, though the burn was fast and cauterized the wound.

Barriss dropped her lightsaber and placed her hands on him for a fast healing affect. He could see her holding back tears, full of shock at her own actions.

"Ich lasse dich nicht sterben! Nicht so!" She whispered in his native Achillean language. She looked up at him with sad affection, feeling the guilt of what she once was in the past.

Wolffe and Plo Koon burst into the hall with several dozen soldiers.

"Ahsoka Tano! Barriss Offee! Senator Chuchi! Conradin Hadranus! I am surrounding the building, there is no escape!" Wolffe called out to them.

Conradin ran over and grabbed Ion with his free hand and held him close.

"What are you doing!? Ae you mad!?" Ion panicked.

Plo Koon stepped forward "Let him go, Senator Hadranus. There's no point in holding him hostage. You're better then that."

Master Plo Koon looked out at them. He sensed a lot of panic, and noticed Conradin was starting to sweat. Not out of nervousness. He was wounded.

"Master Plo Koon...there's something you should all know..."

Conradin looked down at the severed hand, which was incubating nanobots that were designed with only one purpose.

Wolffe, following protocol with a little too much confidence, contacted Baron Papanoida on the comlink.

"Baron, we have captured all of them!".

The Baron's image was projected to a life size hologram. He wanted to savor the moment.

"Ah, Wolffe! I have linked us to the media and live coverage from Coruscant news. I want the Entire Core of worlds to know...wait, did you say you captured all of them? I had not-"

"What's the matter, Papanoida!?" Conradin interrupted "You look surprised. Ion here said that only Ahsoka was to survive!"

"Wolffe, arrest this traitor!" Papanoida waved him off, but he looked concerned over at Barriss, who was very much alive and too close to Ion for the Baron's comfort.

"I don't know who the target was supposed to be, but there is now a ticking time bomb, Baron! This building is set to be vaporized with us in it if we don't evacuate!"

"FATHER! HE WAS INJECTED WITH THE NANOBOTS! THAT FOOL CAD BANE MISSED!"

Ion pointed at the hand on the floor. Everyone instinctively backed away, though no one wanted to turn and run in a room full of trigger happy clones.

The Baron, in that moment of what was to be a media celebration of his heroism, and come to regret his glory hounding. The media was watching with him, live, and everything was about to literally and figuratively blow up in his face.

"Ion, you must calm down. You're not making any sense-"

"YOU said Cad Bane would kill Barriss and make us heroes! She would be blamed for the Nanobots! Do something, Father! He's about to blow me to pieces with him!" Ion wore his feelings on his sleeve, and those feelings came blurting out like a flood.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Papanoida panicked. how much of this had become a huge debacle? How much could he still salvage?

Wolffe looked at them all, confused. "What's going on here?"

Plo Koon was no fool "We must get out of here. Conradin's severed hand has destructive nanobots!"

Sweat poured all over Conradin as he clutched Ion and taunted Papanoida

"Master Plo Koon, get all of your men out! The nanobots could blow at any moment!"

Wolffe ordered his men out, Plo Koon backed away slowly.

Papanoida screamed at Wolffe "What are you doing? You have to save my son! Shoot Conradin! You and your men are the great Wolf pack! You're not supposed to flee! COWARDS!"

Wolffe dropped the comlink and backed his way to the door "I'm not taking any chances setting off the nanobots!"

Ahsoka felt the tension rise, but was also furious with the Baron, a man she thought she could trust. Ironic that she found him to be just as corrupt and dark hearted as Grievous and Dooku. And even more cowardly in his behavior.

"You were going to blow up my friend Barriss? YOU'RE AN ANIMAL!"

Papanoida cracked under the ticking of time running out "You are a naive little girl! You're a bigger fool you think you are going to thwart my plans. This is for the greater glory of the Republic and the Chancellor's victory over the Separatists! Maybe Ion will perish, but so will you and your traitorous friends! then I shall be a welcome hero on pantora...and Ion a martyr!

"FATHER! DAMN YOU, FATHER!" Ion felt the sting of Papanoida's breakdown on live news.

"Everyone out! Ahsoka, get everyone out of here!" Conradin started pulling back.

"Conrad...I'm so sorry...that bomb was meant for me..." Barriss shook her head and had no words to decribe the guilt that overwhelmed her for cutting off his hand.

Barriss looked at Papanoida "Is this what you wanted? MORE death to gain glory? I wanted to end the war, not prolong it!"

Ahsoka gently took her hand and made her back away.

Barriss looked at Conradin. He looked into her eyes. And in that instant, he felt a peace come over him. He loosened his grip on Ion and pushed him away.

"Go on, get out of here. You're not worth it!" Conradin sighed. Ion scurried past Papanoida's image, ignoring his father's pleas and calling out to him.

The severed hand started to vibrate as the nanobots activated a chain reaction that would soon devastate the building.

"Eine Million Todesfälle sind nicht gut genug für Papanoida!" Barriss sobbed mournfully. She spoke with bitterness to Conradin in his native Achillean language as they ran for the exit, a language she learned over the times she had gotten to know him before the war, before the tragedies that followed in 3 years of bloodshed.

Conradin smiled at her and replied also in his native language.

"Barriss, keine Angst vor der Dunkelheit. Sie meinen Tod trauern nicht. Ich habe das Licht in deinen Augen gefunden. Ich bin zu Hause." The four of them ran for the exit.

Barriss was married to Ahsoka, and there was no doubt of her love for the woman that rescued her from darkness. Ahsoka could tell, however, that Barriss and Conradin were close friends, a friendship was made from several long difficult struggles.

"Come on, Barriss. We are ALL going to make it out of here. Alive."

They started to exit, Ahsoka covering them at the door.

"You and your pathetic band have only delayed the inevitable!" Papanoida shouted in a desperate attempt to get the last word.

Ahsoka rushed Barriss and Conradin out and looked back at the Baron's image.

"Palpatine will not stand for this! We will hunt down your friends and your escape will be for nothing! You cannot help them against my Clone armies and the Jedi! Where ever you run, where you try to hide, you will be chased down, outnumbered and outgunned!"

"I only hope you one day take a good look at what you've become. Barriss found her way back to the light, I truly hope you might do the same."

Papanoida scoffed "I am the lord of Pantora! I have the power of life and death over you, and you will see what I have become when you are dragged back to Coruscant in chains!"

"I'm sure I am not the only one who sees what you really are. Enjoy your spotlight. You've earned it!"

Ahsoka used her Force powers to jump through the door, clear of the blast. Everything went a bright flash of light, blinding papanoida on Coruscant.

The four of them boarded the ship. Ventress swiftly flew away from the landing pad just in time. The Embassy burst into a ball of fire and smoke, collapsing in on itself.

Barriss hugged Ahsoka dearly, and Ahsoka cradled her. It was a hard moment, but they knew that Fate had given them a fighting chance. More importantly, Papanoida's arrogance had exposed his schemes to the media at the moment he supposedly had victory in his grasp. There would consequences of the Baron's error of having the media present. His moment of glory became a dark chapter in Palpatine's administration...a mark that would haunt the Chancellor until a new change would shortly occur...

Ventress was contacted by the Separatist droid, VGR-001. "Mistress Asajj, plot a course for .035, we'll cover you!"

Asajj marveled at the droid efficiency as a squadron of captured Republic fighters escorted them to the Venator ship "Moenia".

"I'm impressed. These droids fight better in the Clone ships than they ever did in their own!"

Conradin smiled a little while holding his stump arm with some pain "They are from Emerald fleet, troops under General VGR-001. They're the best!"

Ventress landed her ship in the hangar bay of the cruiser.

VGR-001 observed the tactical situation on the bridge. His assistant, the resourceful astromech R5-D4, watched the battle by his side. "Have all the clone prisoners been released on the Planet surface?" He inquired to one of his command officers.

"Yes, Commander! And we've recalled all our fighters and LAAT transports."

VGR nodded "We have the Emerald General and his companions on board. Helmsman, prepare jump coordinates to leave the system!"

Asajj, Conradin, Ahsoka, Riyo and Barriss entered the bridge. Conradin knelt down and hugged his friend R5.

"You are a sight for sore eyes! You did it! You saved us!" Conradin smiled as R5 beeped happily.

He also shook hands with VGR "Your arrival was great calculating!" Conradin smiled.

"We're no out of the woods yet!" VGR pointed ahead "We have to get past the remaining two cruisers of the Wolf pack!

VGR was bring his cruiser dangerously close to Commander Wolffe's attack group, trying to slip between the battered capital ships.

Commander Wolffe and Master Plo Koon opened a comlink to VGR and the others.

Plo Koon was particularly anxious to plead with Ahsoka not to end the battle of Pantora in this manner.

Wolffe was all business as he confronted them. "Traitors of the Republic! I order you to surrender, or I will unleash holy HELL upon that rust bucket! Commander Ahsoka, you will retrieve every person on board and deactivate the clankers NOW!"

Plo Koon was a little more gentle "Ahsoka, I know this was not the best circumstances to meet again, I wish so much had gone differently. Don't let your legacy with the Jedi end this way, protecting a murderer and joining the droids. Come back to the Order..."

Ahsoka sighed heavily and looked at him fondly.

"I have seen too much death, Master Plo Koon. The Jedi have become willing participants of the despot Palpatine, the Warlord Tarkin, the merciless Commander Wolffe and the megalomaniac Papanoida. The Order has no future, and neither does the Republic. I have nothing to come back to."

Ahsoka held Barriss' hand. "I found my Destiny here."

Barriss was too humble to speak, but felt the courage of Ahsoka's love and forgiveness in the face of the cold political schemes of the powers that Plo Koon now unwittingly represented.

"My future lies in a better place!" Ahsoka concluded defiantly as she looked at her wife.

Wolffe, having lost his patience, arrogantly barged in front of the Jedi Master to face all of them.

"You are about to be caught in a crossfire with our ships! You will give up and scrap these kriffing Clankers or I'll burn you all to the ground!"

VGR boldly stood in front of the others, facing his equal. "We are not just kriffing klankers! We are the soldiers of Emerald fleet and WE WILL NOT YIELD! The battle is ours to lose!"

"Arrogant can opener!" Wolffe blustered.

VGR shut off the comlink. "Full speed ahead! All guns prepare to fire on my signal. Helmsman, on my command, I want you to shut down all stabilizers!"

"Yes, sir!" The droid officer acknowledged.

Asajj looked at Conradin in shock "What the frell is he planning to do? We'll all be blasted to pieces!"

Conradin shrugged with a smile "Hey, he's in command, but I like where he's going with this..."

Ahsoka and Barriss held each other and looked at Conradin, Riyo, and Ventress.

"Whatever happens...we would both like to thank you all for helping us. We would never have gotten this far without your help." Ahsoka showed her gratitude.

Barriss looked at Conradin, both exchanging an unspoken feeling. She knew he loved her dearly, and that he sacrificed so much already for a love that could never be, but she was grateful all the same.

They were about to test the tactical moxie of Droid versus Clone in an ultimate showdown. The laser batteries fired from both sides, but the side cannons of the Venators would finish the fight once and for all.

VGR's cruiser started moving between Wolffe's ships

"Steady...steady..."

Wolffe watched as the cruiser was about to line up in the crosshairs of all his guns. "Just like a droid to walk into the trap!" he smiled. Plo Koon was not so confident.

VGR calculated every detail down to the last possible second as his ships nearly aligned itself comfortably between the two Republic ships.

"All guns fire! Helmsman, shut off all stabilizers NOW!"

VGR's cannons gave one massive volley, the stabilizers that kept his cruiser going up shut down, letting the bare weight of the ship to plummet out of the firing zone of Wolffe's guns

"FIRE!" Wolffe shouted in surprise, but it was too late.

The crossfire that would have obliterated VGR's ship now devastated Wolffe's command. Both Clone ships began to disintegrate from their own attack. Wolffe ordered everyone to abandon ship as the two cruisers sank to the surface in smoke and fire.

"All engines and stabilizers at FULL POWER! NOW!" VGR-001 was about to pull off another miracle. In a few minutes, the RSS Moenia pulled itself back on course and launched into the atmosphere, uncontested.

"The future is wide open, General. We sail into history!" VGR looked at Conradin and the others "We are ready to plot a course to wherever you wish to go!"

Conradin looked at Ahsoka and Barriss. "Where do you want Destiny to take you?"

Ahsoka and Barriss stepped forward "I want to go where the war will never try to hurt us again...

She fed the coordinates to VGR, looked into Barriss' eyes and gave her a kiss as the cruiser made the jump to light speed. Surrounded by speeding lights and the thrill of hyperspace, Ahsoka and Barriss were deternmined to keep the happiness they vowed to share.


End file.
